The West Cliff Drive path, along with most other city and county parks reopened to walkers, runners and cyclists Thursday after a weeklong closure. Officials continue to keep an eye on outdoor activities to make sure that people maintain social distancing as shelter-in-place orders are still in effect due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Shmuel Thaler — Santa Cruz Sentinel)

SANTA CRUZ — Parks, beaches and trails reopened Thursday across Santa Cruz County as the week of strict closures — and a countywide ban on surfing — came to an end.

The temporary prohibition on use of recreational spaces took effect April 9 at the order of Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel. It expired midnight Wednesday, leaving residents once again able to surf and exercise on beaches, West Cliff and in most area parks.

“I hope our public will take advantage of those and enjoy their outdoor time,” Newel said Thursday. “But it’s very important that social-distancing requirements be maintained. If we see large gatherings of crowds, we may need to close some or all of the parks and beaches again.”

Each local jurisdiction has discretion to close specific parks or facilities as needed, Newel said.

Local law enforcement officials on Thursday urged residents to continue to abide by ongoing shelter-in-place restrictions. Some facilities — including basketball courts, skate parks and other sport facilities — remain closed, and citations can be issued in any public space for gathering in groups or engaging in other activity deemed “nonessential.”

Citations issued by area law enforcement shot up while the order was in effect, with at least 249 fines handed out over the weeklong period for violating the closures or other shelter-in-place rules.

Newel’s decision, she has said, was prompted by concern that Easter weekend could see crowds of residents and visitors converging outdoors, and unknowingly spreading COVID-19. Many of those infected with the virus, experts have found, are asymptomatic and can easily spread the virus to others despite showing no symptoms.

Most residents cooperated with the temporary closures, representatives from multiple departments said Thursday.

The City of Santa Cruz has posted social distancing reminders along West Cliff Drive and other locations with heavy foot traffic. (Shmuel Thaler — Santa Cruz Sentinel)

“There was high compliance, especially from the surf community,” Santa Cruz Police Chief Andy Mills said via text. “Where we saw violations was mostly out of town people taking day trips.”

One of those incidents involving visitors spread widely on social media, briefly catching the attention of national press: Seven Fremont residents came to Santa Cruz to get “drinks,” according to a Tweet from Mills. Each left with a $1,000 fine for violating shelter in place.

In the unincorporated county, deputies cited 164 people throughout the week — more than double the 80 shelter-in-place citations previously issued by the department. At least one surfer was cited after coming out of the water at Pleasure Point, according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn.

“Probably more than 98% of our population is complying,” Keehn said. “It’s that 2% continuing not to abide by the order.”

In Santa Cruz, police spokeswoman Joyce Blaschke said officers handed out approximately 75 citations throughout the week. Hotspots for citations included Araña Gulch, Grant Street park, Mike Fox skate park, Ocean View Park and East Cliff Beach, according to Blaschke.

Police said enforcement focused on education, with volunteers and officers posted at popular areas warning off more than 1,000 people over Easter weekend and within the city of Santa Cruz.

“Some people were confused about what the shelter-in-place order entailed, and (the volunteers) did a lot of explaining of that,” Blaschke said.

In Watsonville, police cited one person for violating the parks closure and separately cited a nonessential business for remaining open, according to Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido.

A Scotts Valley police sergeant said he believed the department had not issued any citations, but was unable to follow up later Thursday to confirm.

In Capitola, police handed out nine citations for shelter-in-place violations throughout the week, according to Tracie Hernandez, who manages the department’s records. At least four appeared related to parks and beach closures, Hernandez said.

And at least one Capitola park is staying closed. The Monte Family skate park and pump track will remain closed for at least another week, according to Capitola Police Chief Terry McManus.

Retired Sheriff’s deputy Joe Clark patrols along East Cliff in Pleasure Point on Thursday with the intention to ask non-locals to head home and encouraging people to maintain safe social distancing. (Shmuel Thaler — Santa Cruz Sentinel)

In Santa Cruz, the same park facilities remain closed as prior to April 8, according to city spokesman Ralph Dimarucut. Closed facilities include basketball courts, swimming pools, athletic fields, skate parks, beach volleyball courts, the golf and disc golf courses and playgrounds.

In the unincorporated county, facilities staying closed include Simpkins Family Swim Center, visitor centers, museums, the skate park at Seacliff Village Park, dog parks at Chanticleer and Polo Grounds Parks, reservable group picnic areas, park restrooms and playgrounds.

For Santa Cruz pro-surfer Nat Young, Thursday meant returning to the water after a week of staying home. Young took advantage of the ban’s ending by surfing a North Coast break Thursday morning, and was on his way to another break Thursday afternoon.

“I think it was a smart decision, and I’m happy they’re allowing us to surf again,” Young said of the closures. “My whole days are usually based around surfing and finding waves and going to the beach — I was just stuck at home for a week; it was interesting for sure.”

As of Thursday, 96 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Santa Cruz County, a number that includes 41 recoveries and two deaths.

Nicholas Ibarra covers government, education, cannabis and agriculture for the Sentinel. Raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Nicholas has earned multiple statewide awards for his writing, which has appeared throughout numerous Bay Area newspapers including the Mercury News and East Bay Times. He has also contributed reporting to publications including KQED Radio, Scientific American and Sierra Magazine. Nicholas earned a B.S. in journalism from San Jose State University.

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